1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coated golf ball that makes inconspicuous such possible defects as flaw or peeling of a paint layer formed over the surface of its ball body not only at its brand-new stage but also after it has been left outdoors for a long time.
2. Description of the Related Art
General golf balls are coated with a clear paint or a paint of a similar color of the ball body so as to be made glossy. When such a coated golf ball is hit with a short iron or a sand wedge, the ball surface of the coated golf ball is flawed with the grooved face of the short iron or the sand wedge, sometimes resulting in peeling of the paint layer.
In order to make a peeled portion of such a paint layer inconspicuous, the color tone of the paint layer has been made analogous to that of the ball body surface. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Gazette No. HEI 5-269220 (Japanese Patent No. 3027050), for instance, discloses a golf ball wherein the ranges of whiteness (Wcie) and greenishness (Tw) of the coated golf ball are specified, while differences in whiteness (Wcie) and greenishness (Tw) between the cover and the coated golf ball are specified.
Such a coated golf ball, however, is subject to color change at its paint layer and ball body if the coated ball is stored for a long time or under a high-temperature condition or if the coated ball is left outdoors for a long time. For this reason, even if the whitenesses of the ball body and the coated ball in a brand-new state (in an early stage) are adjusted, a difference in color between them will develop with time. Particularly where the paint layer is sharply flawed by a club with a greater deal of loft such as a sand wedge, the difference between the color tone on the surface of the ball body and one on the surface of the paint layer formed over the ball body, namely the flaw, becomes conspicuous.
An object of the present invention is to provide a coated golf ball which is capable of making its flaw or paint peeling inconspicuous, which is likely to occur due to shots, even after it has been left outdoors for a long time.
A coated golf ball of the present invention comprises a ball body and at least one colorless, transparent paint layer covering the ball body. The ball body has a surface layer containing a white pigment and essentially free of a fluorescent brightener and an ultraviolet absorber. The paint layer contains a fluorescent brightener and an ultraviolet absorber. The color tone represented by CIE L*a*b* color system on a surface of the ball body satisfies the following requirement: L* being in the range of 88 to 93, a* being in the range of xe2x88x922 to 2, and b* being in the range of xe2x88x9212 to xe2x88x925. The color tone represented by CIE L*a*b* color system on a surface of the paint layer formed over the surface of the ball body satisfies the following requirement: L* being in the range of 88 to 93, a* being in the range of xe2x88x922 to 2, and b* being in the range of xe2x88x9212 to xe2x88x925. CIE L*a*b* color difference between the color tone on the surface of the ball body and the color tone on the surface of the paint layer satisfies the following requirement: a difference (xcex94L) in the L* being at least 2, a difference (xcex94a) in the a* being at least 3, and a difference (xcex94b) in the b* being at least 3.
The foregoing and other objects, features and attendant advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the reading of the following detailed description.